Sweden: Spirits of a Nation

“Sweden: Spirits of a Nation” is Spritmuseum’s major exhibition, focusing on the Swedes’ bittersweet relationship to alcohol. The exhibition is designed as a walk through the seasons of the year, given shape through sceneries, scents, tastes and music. Visitors can relax on a park bench or hang out in the bar, partaking in pain and pleasure, enjoyment and hangovers, light and dark, warmth and cold.

The exhibition pinpoints certain phenomena we all have experienced whether we drink alcohol or not: drinking songs, building an identity using alcohol, norms, attitudes and values. The exhibition also delves into the actual production of alcohol, including rules and restrictions.

With “Sweden: Spirits of a Nation”, Spritmuseum wants to activate all the senses and evoke memories. The aim is to affect the visitor on several levels, to cause us to reflect on alcohol as a cultural symbol and to make us think about our complicated relationship to alcohol in our everyday lives.